Members of the plastics industry have met with Parliamentarians to discuss the plastic packaging recycling targets.

PlasticsEurope, the BPF, and PAFA that together form Plastics 2020 met with Lord de Mauley and other Parliamentarians and explained their apprehensiveness on progress towards meeting the challenging targets for plastics packaging required by 2017.

In a review undertaken by Plastics 2020 and reported on at the event, the study document said: “Without the infrastructure, we were always in danger of failing and the first quarter figures released by the Environment Agency have served to emphasise how difficult it was to pursue ambitious targets with such disparate collection systems across the country and a lack of developed UK recycling outlets for recycled materials.”

It also warned that dependence on export markets for recycled material had started to backfire as some have closed their markets.

At the event Plastics 2020 called for the Government to:

Take action to bring to an end the disparate collection performance across the country by councils

Greatly increase the Landfill Tax to drive recyclables away from landfill. The extra revenue should be ring-fenced for investment in more recycling facilities and more energy from waste

Ensure that the Quality Action Plan is followed through and has teeth

Introduce incentives to reward purchasers of packaging for using more recycled content, and revise the PRN system to ensure it delivers targeted funds where most needed.